How Not to Make a Fur Coat
by BistaUss
Summary: Belle finds a litter of dalmatian puppies in the Dark Castle. What could Rumplestiltskin need them for? A Rumbelle Christmas in July present for spottytonguedog on Tumblr.


Rumplestiltskin thought he had gotten used to his little maid surprising him, but finding her in the great hall covered in a yapping pile of black and white puppies did catch him off guard.

"You've been snooping around again, dearie," he said over the noise. "I'm certain that they were locked up in a different room when I left."

Belle smiled over the head of the pup that was attempting to lick her face. "And they clearly needed to get out for a little while," she replied as four pups ran towards the Dark One, eagerly sniffing around his boots. "Why in the world do you have fifteen puppies hidden away?"

Rumplestiltskin, dutifully ignoring the whelps swarming his feet, said, "For a deal, of course. Why do I keep anything hidden away?" He glanced at the table. "I see your distraction has kept you from making tea, as well."

Belle's nose scrunched as she stuck out her tongue, but she rose and made her way to the kitchen, the little beasts following her like ducklings follow their mother. Rumplestiltskin rolled his eyes as he headed to his spinning wheel. He thought about sending the pups back to their confinement with magic now, but decided to wait till she came back. She'd demand answers of him, and of late he'd found it much less tiresome to just explain certain things to her up front. So he busied himself with spinning some gold until she returned, the sounds of little barks accompanying her.

The Dark One sighed a little, then stood and went to take his usual seat. Belle, rather than sitting on the table as she so often did, had resumed her spot on the floor, apparently trying to see how many puppies could fit on her lap at once. "Don't get too attached, dearie," he told her. "They aren't staying. As I said, they're for a deal. You're better off taking them back to their room sooner rather than later."

"What sort of deal requires all these puppies?"

"I don't question the requests people make, so long as they can pay the right price," he replied. "If an old spinster wants to surround herself with dogs in exchange for a valuable magical artifact, who am I to say she's wrong?"

Belle shot him a look, saying, "Honestly, Rumple, you question everything anyone does, but you didn't question that?"

"Of the two of us, you're the one who questions everything," he said, causing Belle to roll her eyes. "Nevertheless, those pups are not staying. She'll be bringing the item tomorrow and taking the dogs with her, so take them back to their room and leave them be."

Belle stood and crossed her arms. "I want you to find out what she intends for them," she said.

"You're giving me orders now, dearie?"

"It's not an order, I just want to be sure they'll be alright. I know you have a heart, Rumplestiltskin, and just because they're not human doesn't mean they don't have the right to be safe and happy. I know you take that kind of care with the children you use for your deals, you should do the same with these puppies."

The Dark One couldn't help a slight scowl. Ever since she'd found out that the children he used in deals were taken from poor circumstances and brought to better ones, she seemed to think he was soft. Even so, he supposed she had a point, barely.

"Very well, when she comes tomorrow I will make certain of her intentions. And when I am proved right and make the exchange, I hope to never repeat this sort of conversation again." He tried to sound stern, but the smile that blossomed on Belle's face undermined him somewhat, as it always did. Damn the girl. "Now, take them back to their room."

Belle left the room with the troop of dogs following, in a direction that was clearly towards the gardens rather than their room. Rumplestiltskin just shook his head.

For most of his dealings, Rumplestiltskin would leave the castle, but on occasion he would allow the people he dealt with to come to him. He rather enjoyed making a spectacle of the whole thing, so in anticipation of the lady's arrival, he did a little magic in the great hall, causing the table to disappear and be replaced with a rather grand throne that sat in front of the fireplace. Since the day Belle had fallen from the ladder while messing with the curtains there was always sunlight shining through the huge windows, but today he placed heavy curtains in front of them, dropping the light significantly. Seating himself in his chair, lit from behind by the roaring fire, he smiled to himself and waited. He'd told Belle to keep out of the hall until he came to fetch her, saying she could wander wherever else she might like. Hopefully, that allowance would feed her curiosity and keep her busy until he finished here.

He felt the silent alarm that told him someone was approaching, so he snapped his fingers and opened the doors. Within moments, in walked the woman he had spoken to the previous week. She approached him confidently, the white in her hair glowing in the firelight.

"Lovely to see you again, dearie," Rumplestiltskin said, folding his hands in front of his face. "Have you brought what you owe me?"

"I have, Dark One," the woman replied, reaching beneath her fur coat and retrieving a sparkling gold wand. "One fairy wand, as requested." Rumplestiltskin rose and strode towards her, but she held it back. "You have the puppies, I presume?" His head cocked to the side, amused by her presumption that he wouldn't hold up his side. He snapped his fingers again, and the dogs appeared along with a small pen to keep them contained. The woman's eyes lit up, and she held the wand out to him, walking over to the pen as soon as the wand left her hand. "Wonderful," she breathed.

Rumplestiltskin twirled the wand in his fingers as he turned to look at her. "One more thing, if I may, dearie."

"It's Cruella," she replied, tearing her eyes from the pups to meet his gaze.

"Very well, Cruella, if I may. What is it you intend to do with these animals? Fifteen puppies seems like quite the responsibility for a single woman."

A gleam came to her eyes, and she stroked the fur at her collar. "I've handled far bigger responsibilities, don't worry about that."

"NO!"

Rumplestiltskin's stomach clenched at the same moment that the yell came from the kitchen door, which crashed open to reveal Belle, rushing forward in a rush. He'd be annoyed at her spying if he wasn't feeling the same reaction she seemed to be having. Belle strode right to where Cruella stood by the pen, getting too close for comfort but not touching the other woman. "You are not going to make any fur coats out of these puppies!"

Cruella looked surprise for just a second before laughing in Belle's face. "Good heavens, I didn't realize the Dark One had his own little pet," she scoffed. "I've made a perfectly respectable deal for these animals, darling, and I don't see how there's anything you could possibly do to interfere."

Belle's eyes, blazing with fury, met Rumplestiltskin's. He kept his face calm, but inside he was seething too. "Let me handle this, Belle," he muttered.

"Listen to your master, girl," Cruella added, "these kinds of matters don't concern the help." At that, Belle looked back at her and took a step closer, planting her feet as though she would never move again. Cruella sniffed, "Insolent." One of her hands lifted, aiming a swift backhand towards Belle's face.

Belle flinched, but the blow never landed. Cruella was frozen mid motion, a sickly purple light surrounding her body. Belle took a step back and looked back to Rumplestiltskin, whose hand was outstretched, his jaw clenched. He approached slowly, stepping between the two women and bringing his face close to Cruella's immobile one. "I'm not one to break deals," he said softly, "but I will make an exception in this case. I do not appreciate you threatening what's mine, Cruella. Nor do I appreciate the thought of you killing these animals. You can have this back," he continued, slipping the wand into her hand and closing her frozen fingers around it. "And I'm going to send you far away. If you return to my castle, you'll be the one who's made into a coat." With that, Cruella vanished from the room. Rumplestiltskin snapped his fingers, and the great hall reverted to its usual self with the table in the center, light flooding through the windows, and now with fifteen puppies freed of their pen and barking enthusiastically.

Belle's heart was in her throat as she reached out a hand and laid it on his shoulder. He turned to face her, the anger draining from him as he met her eyes. "I'm sorry I was spying, Rumple," she murmured.

He huffed and said, "I doubt that, but it's no matter. Once she said she intended to skin the pups, I was going to get rid of her. Your interference just made it seem more personal."

Belle's eyebrows lifted as she asked, "Because she threatened what's yours?"

It was hard to say, given his darkly scaled face, but it almost seemed like the Dark One blushed. "I was merely making a point, dearie, no need to read anything into it!" He cleared his throat. "Now, take those dogs out of here, they're making far too much noise. Take them out to the gardens and run around with them so I can have some peace and quiet. I'll see you for tea."

He turned away from her, swallowing hard. She was right, of course. He'd reacted to Cruella threatening to strike her faster than thought, instinctually. He'd called her 'his' without thought. He was beginning to suspect he was in trouble where his little maid was concerned. He hadn't made it to the doorway yet when he was attacked by the small army of dogs, all barking and trying to paw at his legs. Rolling his eyes, he reached down to pet the little beasts, when one hit his knees and knocked him to the ground. The Dark One sat on the floor, covered in a mass of fur, being nuzzled and licked and felt quite glad that there was no one else around to witness this latest damage to his reputation. But he allowed the pups their fun, and hearing Belle's laughter at the sight lifted his heart and brought a bright smile to his face.


End file.
